National POW/MIA Recognition Day

Today observances will be held on military installations, ships at sea, state capitols, schools and veteran’s facilities. This is one of six days throughout the year that Congress mandates the flying of the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag. The flag will be flown at major military installations, national cemeteries, all post offices, VA medical facilities, and the WWII, Korean and Vietnam War Veterans memorials.

“My Friend”

by Shorty Estabrook

B/19/24

I lost my friend along the wayTo this place that I call now.I didn’t want to lose my friend,But I did and don’t know how.I remember how he looked at meAs I laid him down to rest,When he said, “I can’t go on, old pal;You’ve seen me at my very best.”“So, leave me now and go your wayAnd when your journey ends,Remember me beside the road,Your buddy and your friend.”

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About GP Cox

Everett Smith served with the Headquarters Company, 187th Regiment, 11th A/B Division during WWII. This site is in tribute to my father, "Smitty."
GPCox is a member of the 11th Airborne Association. Member # 4511 and extremely proud of that fact!

Always glad to see you are still enjoying the site. Your site gives me a sports break I like. Our college NCAA “March Madness” basketball championships are about to start, so looking forward to that too.

Thanks for this post. While in Australia we’ve paid considerable attention to the experiences of POWs since the 1980s, we don’t have a National POW/MIA Recognition Day. I’m also interested in the flag.

It’s never too late to start a specific day for their recognition. I’ve learned about ANZAC Day and that seems to cover a lot, but I can’t think of any reason why your government would object. What is it you wish to know about the flag?

Once again you’ve put together a beautiful post of rememberance. Thank you. Often when I see a veteran huddled beneath an underpass or over a steam-grate, I wonder if they too aren’t among the missing – we simply don’t count them that way. The combination of the homeless and the mentally ill veterans living on the streets of our nation now make up the largest demographic group of homeless individuals. The largest group of white females happens to also be veterans. The general population would like to say these individuals are all mentally ill but they aren’t. They are veterans returning from one war or another and the VA has taken so long to process claims, etc. that they are literally left homeless. Once an individual is homeless, it’s so difficult to reverse that situation. (Sorry, didn’t mean to rant.)

Thank you. I realize today is a U.S. memorial day, but I’m sure all other countries have a similar day and can relate to this. (That’s also why I included one of Pierre’s sites, even tho he is Canadian.)

Yes, most of our official honouring takes place on Anzac Day and Armistice Day. But I must say that every time I travel past a small war memorial (some schools have them in their school grounds ) or war memorial plaque, I remember and wonder about the names and the war times.